Wherein the author* muses. . .about a childhood in Africa, books, travels, her highly talented children, the pets in her life, and the world in general.

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Helping Malik

A couple of weeks ago, as I was walking our dog around the
block, I encountered a young man. It was
one of those miserable days in what has been a miserable winter. True, we were inching toward spring, and had
had a day or two with temperatures above freezing. But this day which had promised to be a touch
warmer turned out to be cold—with a wind that cut through my jacket.

As this young man approached, it was evident that he must be
a student at the nearby high school walking home. We live near a large
apartment complex, and frequently have students cutting through our
neighborhood.

What caught my eye about this young man was that he had NO
coat on. He had his arms tucked down
inside his pants, in an effort to keep warm.
I always make it a point to acknowledge the students I see walking
through our neighborhood—so, I said to him “you look cold.”

His answer surprised me a bit—“I’m lost.” Thinking he might want directions, I asked
where he was going. “To ____ High
School.” Now, he was walking from our
school district high school and the one he named was another school which is
over three miles from where we were. Such a walk could take him over an hour.

And he was walking.
Without a coat. On a cold day.

Well, I said, I know where that high school is—why do you want to go there?

So I can get to the place I need to be, he answered.

I asked why he didn’t have a jacket on, and he shrugged with
that mixture of nonchalance and cluelessness one sometimes sees in young teens.

I couldn’t just let this go—so I told him to walk with me to
my house, a few doors from where we were.
As we walked, I asked him his name—Malik. I asked what grade he was in—9th. And I asked about favorite subjects, which
teachers he had.

As soon as we got to my house, I asked him to wait, while I
could get a jacket for him. While he
waited outside, I popped in my house, and quickly filled my husband in on the
situation. Immediately, my husband said
he would drive Malik to the other school.

My husband then went to the basement, and got a jacket for
Malik. Then we went outside to Malik,
who very quickly put on the jacket. We
told Malik to keep the jacket and that my husband would drive him.

I then asked—where does he need to go from the other high
school? Oh, from there I can walk to
Zion Church, he said.

My husband and I knew exactly where he meant, so my husband
said he would drive Malik there. Thinking
that Malik might want to tell someone he was getting a ride, I asked if he
wanted to call his mother, but he demurred saying she was at work.

So, my husband headed off with Malik, took him to the church
where Malik went up to the door and rang a bell, knew what to say to get in,
and went inside.

We haven’t seen him since. Every now and then, I have thought about Malik. I hope he stays the sweet young man he seemed
to be—only with a touch more common sense in remembering to bring a jacket to
school on cold days.

A touching story. I know that there are various "Coats for Kids" type programs, but some children still fall through the cracks. You saw a need and chose to do what you could to help a young man right then and there. Thank you for sharing this. It warmed my heart today, and I think this will motivate others to be more open to such needs and opportunities. Programs and charities are great, but sometimes it is that one-on-one that just ministers to the body and soul.

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About Me

Whether I shall turn out to be the heroine of my own life, these pages might show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I was born on a Tuesday. At what hour of clock, and whether the clock struck or not, I do not know.
But enough of all the David Copperfield crap. . .
What is there to say?